Raspberry Banana Bread

The thought of eating bananas always sounds great. They're sweet! They have potassium! Yay! So I buy them. Then they turn brown and die because it just seems like a really big commitment to eat a whole banana. You know? So, this morning I had 3 "ripe" bananas. Solution? Banana bread. Duh. I found this recipe and decided to give it a go.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries* (STUPID expensive right now, so I got frozen blackberries. Totally worked)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (blech. Do not want. If you do, go for it. I won't judge. Or make jokes about how you like nuts)

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the eggs, bananas, oil and water. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in raspberries and walnuts. Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pans (I sprinkled a little brown sugar on top for a crusty sweet topping. Oh AND, I don't have loaf pans, so I used my glass 9x9. Worked fine). Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Final result: SUCCESSSSS!!! Super good. Warm it up (aka eat half of it while it's still warm from the oven) slather some butter on it and your mouth with thank you.

ps-Look at me substituting ingredients and not totally ruining the whole thing!!!! Ok, subbing blackberries for raspberries isn't exactly daring, but STILL.

Pisco Sour

When I went to Peru for my brother's wedding to his Peruvian princess, one of my favorite things was Pisco Sours. Pisco is Peru's national booze. Sweet! When they recently brought me back a bottle, I was determined to make them myself.

2oz Pisco Brandy
1oz lime juice
1/4 oz simple syrup
1/2 egg white
dash of bitters

Throw all but the bitters in a shaker and shake the snot out of it. The egg white's froth up and make a rad foam, which you sprinkle a couple drops of bitter on. I think if I had stuck all the liquid in a blender, it probably would have frothed up better (like in that pic, which was taken in Peru). Obvious you-might-die warning: RAW EGG WHITES. Basically, you're taking your chances. Risky risky!!